@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld

Brand evolution in a search and socially driven world

How IBM reaches customers today

Tom Gerace, CEO, SkywordLeslie Reiser, Program Director, WW Digital Marketing, IBM

#cmworld

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld2

Brand Narcissist: It’s All About Them

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld3

Boring Brand: No One is Listening

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld4

The Most Interesting Brand in the World

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld5

How to Be The Most Interesting Brand in the World

• Be in the right places…• With the right people…• Have extraordinary experiences…• And something interesting to say

• It’s not about you, it’s about what fascinates them

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld

The Right Places

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld7

Search is the Primary Gateway to Consumers• 2011 US Internet Ad

Revenues were $31B

• 2011 US SEM investment ($14.8B) represents 46.5% of total.

• Mobile is fastest growing segment +149% Y/Y to $1.6B

• Retail is largest industry category by online ad spend at 22%.

• 69% of ad spend is performance based (e.g. Traffic acquisition)

http://www.iab.net/media/file/IAB_Internet_Advertising_Revenue_Report_FY_2011.pdf

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld8

Consumers Are Searching for Information

2.7 billion per day

200 million per day

times information is shared through social channels each month

billion searches for information each month18

billion36

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld

The Right People

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld10

EnthusiastInfluencerExpert

The Right People

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld11

Extraordinary experiences with something interesting to say…

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld12

Original, High-quality Content Reaps Rewards

All those people who have been doing, for lack of a better word, ‘over optimization’ or ‘overly’ doing their SEO, compared to the people who are just making great content and trying to make a fantastic site, we want to make that playing field a little bit more level.Matt Cutts, Google’s spam chief (March 2012)

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld13

In Fact…It Ranks as the #1 SEO Tactic

#1

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld14

Quality Content Builds SEO

30.0K

22.5K

15.0K

7.5K

MAR 10 JUL 10 NOV 10 MAR 11 JUL 11 NOV 11 MAR 12 JUL 12Source: Spyfu.com

Organic Keyword Results: Skyword health and beauty client

JAN 2011Content marketing

program launches on site

OCT 2011Google’s

Panda 2.5 update

JAN 2012Google’s Panda 3.2 update

Our site quality algorithms are aimed at helping people find “high-quality sites” by reducing the rankings of low- quality content.

Amit Singhal, Google Fellow

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld15

Quality Content Engages Consumers

The right content provides consumers with the info they

seek and builds trusted relationships before they even

think of making a purchase

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld16

Quality Content Takes Different Forms News vs. Evergreen

Beauty advisors providing tips to consumers on Walgreens’ web site

Connected technology bloggers providing analysis of breaking tech news on IBM’s microsite for SMBs

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld17

How IBM is Becoming The Most Interesting Brand in the World To Midsize Businesses

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld18

IBM Business Challenge

To generate interest and demand for IBM's midsize business portfolio by increasing awareness and “findability” through popular search engines and news services

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld19

IBM Influencer ProgramInfluencers

• Business Partner – IBM Midmarket Business Partners who have graduated Social Media Bootcamp

• Blogger – Identified and compensated to author blog posts related to IBM’s Midmarket prioritized solutions

• Owned – Conversation Managers and Curators speaking from the IBM Voice (in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Spiceworks)

• News Writer – Creating news articles optimized for Google News aligned to IBM Midmarket agenda

• Forward Thinker – IBMers represented as Forward Thinkers on Midmarket ibm.com websites

• Communications/Press

• Analyst

Business Partner

Comm/Press

Owned

Forward Thinker

Blogger

Analyst

58%

3%

1%

4%

29%

1%

4%

News Writer

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld20

• Re-imagine existing content assets• Leverage IBM influencers• Fuel new creative • Maximize IBM owned channels• 8 week / 8 days / 8 hours / 8 minutes

IBM: Content StrategyWell choreographed and activated content becomes the missing connective tissue between decision makers and IBM

ACTIVATECURATE CREATE

CONTENT

IBM has a solution for

me

MM IT Profession

al

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld21

IBM Midsize Insider

• Identify and engage leading industry writers

• Leverage unbiased voices

• Create news content that addresses technology needs of audience

• Tier-based on reach, influence and objective

• Forge strategic partnerships

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld22

How to Be Seen in the Right Places

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld23

Content Fuels POE PAID

Display Ads

SEM

Sponsorships

content OWNED

Web Site

Mobile Site

Blog

Twitter Account

EARNED WOM

Buzz

Viral

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld24

Publish Everywhere

850 million members

250 million members

60 million monthly visitors

130 million members

2 million members

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld25

Speak the Audience’s Language

Who’s primarily responsible for finding and implementing CRM in your organization?

How to #fail at #CRM – The most common mistakes to avoid. http://bit.ly/McJoBs

This article says IT is often the group charged with buying and implementing CRM. Is that the right way to go about it?

Take our poll: Who should “own” CRM? Sales…Marketing…IT…Customer Care…

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld26

Results

1,158 news articles publishes on Skyword Platform 56X monthly content growth 38 expert contributors 70,000 visits and 95,000 page views from 171 countries from 3/22– 6/18 2012 1.2% CTR to IBM.com compared to .5% industry average

@lcreiser

@tomgerace

#cmworld27

Stay Thirsty… for Information… My Friend.